Frostproof to Put its Fire Hydrants on GPS

City residents may see a lot of activity soon around local fire hydrants. The Frostproof City Council has approved a new contract to have its hydrants maintained and mapped.

By PHIL ATTINGERNews Chief

FROSTPROOF | City residents may see a lot of activity soon around local fire hydrants.

The Frostproof City Council has approved a new contract to have its hydrants maintained and mapped.

Using a bid with Broward County, Public Works Director James Keene recommended a $4,845 contract with R&M Service Solutions in Dade City.

For $25 each, the company would paint, reseal, lubricate, test and map each of the city's almost 170 hydrants.

Keene said the map would include GPS coordinates to make hydrants easier to find.

For an extra $3.50 per hydrant, Keene recommended having the company attach metal tags to each hydrant, giving a number, location and the results of the most recent flow test.

That, along with the GPS mapping, would help the Fire Department find the best hydrants to provide the water needed for a given fire.

"Yes, this would greatly help us out," said Fire Chief William Lord.

He said his crews are preparing to systematically "exercise" all of the city's hydrants, but those tests consist of opening the caps and the valve.

Having an outside vendor do the testing would help him ensure that all hydrants have been tested and the results have been reported to the Insurance Services Office to get the fire protection rating for the city, he said.

City records must show that these tests have been done, Lord said.

Also, he said, if anything goes wrong with a hydrant, the company may be liable, not the city.

The city has $2,000 in the budget for hydrant repair and maintenance in the 2012-13 fiscal year, City Manager Tenny Croley said.